Car technologies are developing from day to day at a very fast rate. Cars have been developed as environmentally friendly intelligent cars that can stably, conveniently move at rapid speeds. In addition to the development of car technologies, electronic equipment and communication technologies have been also significantly developed. In this atmosphere, an electronic system for a vehicle has been promptly evolved according to the needs of times for enabling a convenient connection to the internet anywhere or anytime and information interchange with other persons via a communication network.
The electronic system for a vehicle is basically configured to control or support elements related to driving or safety of the vehicle, and is additionally required to carry out various functions of enabling communications with an external apparatus (a high-performance portable terminal or the like) of a driver or a passenger of the vehicle, of receiving an audio input of the external apparatus and outputting it via a vehicle speaker, of supplying energy stored in a vehicle battery and the like to the external apparatus, and the like.
According to these needs, various terminal connection devices have been recently installed at a front panel of a driver's seat of the vehicle. Most of the terminal connection devices are arranged such that an audio input terminal (AUX) or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal having a simple structure is inserted into the front panel. Through the front panel, a driver operates a button on the front panel during driving or carries out desired working, such as operations of various electronic apparatuses, charging, and the like, using a terminal.
Meanwhile, it is preferable that the terminal connection device mounted to the vehicle be installed so that the driver can safely use it during driving in the daytime or at night. However, the terminal connection device installed at the front panel has not been yet configured so that the driver can simply identify and use a desired terminal during driving in the daytime or at night. Accordingly, the terminal connection device may be a potential risk factor that causes a safety accident.
As one example, when the driver turns away his or her eyes from a front portion of the vehicle to other places in order to find an audio input terminal (AUX) or a USB terminal for connection of the external apparatus during driving, the driver cannot promptly respond to emergency circumstances, such as the sudden appearance of an object from the front of the vehicle, or the like, thereby causing an accident.
In addition, according to consumers' diversified tastes, many functions have been required to be provided with the front panel of the vehicle. For example, demands for a structure in which a driver can accurately find a desired terminal without directly looking an operating button or the terminal, a structure or function in which a driver can accurately find a button or terminal even at night, or a structure in which a terminal connection device can be used as interior decoration inside a vehicle have been increasing.
As such, despite the fact that a terminal connection device that is suitable for safety of a vehicle has been recently required, the results of research and development concerning a connection device of an external terminal related thereto are not yet sufficient.